Multiple carton structure



March 24,.1953 E. J. MINSTER, JR., ETAL MULTIPLE CARTON STRUCTURE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed March 31, 1950 INVENTOR. BY W AZ 5. 3%.?

March 24, 1953 Filed March 31, 1950 E. J. MINSTER, JR, ET AL MULTIPLE CARTON STRUCTURE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. "4mg 1 s Patented Mar. 24, 1953 (UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MULTIIQLE CARTON. STRUCTURE Ernest J. Minster, Jr., Sharpsburg, and William S. Schott, Etna, Pa., assignors to Fort Pitt Brewing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.,a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 31, 1950. Serial No. 153,038

' 1 Claim. (01.; 229-15) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cartons, more particularly for packaging beverage cans or bottles, and it is among the objects thereof to provide a carton for packaging containers which shall be capable of joining in pairs for handling as an integral unit and which can be Separated into two cartons by severing a plurality of connecting wall members.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a carton of the above designated character which shall be adapted for use in pairs on packing machinery presently in use that is adapted for packing containers of double the size, without requiring any adjustment of such machinery.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a single carton and connecting member embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 a top plan view of a double carton or two cartons assembled as a unitary package, taken along the line 2-2, Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the assembly of Fig. 2, taken along the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cut and punched carton before folding and assembly;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pair of cartons showing the packaging of containers in one of them; and

Fig. '7 is an elevational view in perspective of the assembled double unitary carton.

With reference to the several figures of the drawings, the numeral l designates a. carton of fiber board or the like having the usual end flaps 2 and 3 and side flaps 4 and 5. The flap 5 is very short for the purpose, as shown in Fig. 6, of standing upright when two of such cartons are assembled on the conveyor for packaging so as to clear the loading fingers that place the containers in the carton. As shown in Fig. 5, the flaps 6, I, 8 and 9 fold at right angles along the line ID to form the base of the container of Fig. 1, and the numerals II, I2, I3 and I4 designate the sections defined by the folding lines which, when folded, constitute the side walls of the carton. The short flap l5 folds inside of one of the end walls and is fastened thereto by heavy staples to lock the folded carton in position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Again with reference to Fig. 5, it is to be noted that deep notches I6 and I! are provided below the short flap 5 a substantial distance approximately half-way down the Wall of the carton, which, when the carton is assembled, provide the slots as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By placing two of the cartons of Fig. 1 side by side with the sides having the short flap 5 contacting as shown in Fig. 6, a pair of side boards I8, having notches I9 and a deep notch 20, are placed against the walls of the cartons in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the deep notch 20 passing through the notches I5 and I! to permit the bottom of the boards I8 to rest against the base of the cartons or nearly so. The notch 20 is of sufficient width to accommodate the two walls of the carton I, as shown in Fig. 4,-and when the cartons are thus interlocked by the boards It! the flaps 2, 3, 4 and 5 are folded over as shown in Fig. 3 and the carton is sealed by the usual automatic gluing machines to constitute an assembled unit as shown in Fig. 7. The short flap 5 serves as an adhesive surface for flaps 2 and 3.

Such cartons may be used for beverage containers of metal or glass, designated by the numeral 22 in the drawings, the cartons being of a size to accommodate I2 beverage containers. Upon delivery of the double carton, it can be readily separated by cutting the connecting wall boards I8 as by a knife, leaving two separate cartons of I2 containers each. The design of carton with the short flaps 5 is especially adapted for packing on conventional loaders or packing machines which are designed for loading 24 container cartons. The short flaps 5 when upstanding as shown in Fig. 6 permit the loading device to insert the containers in the pair of cartons simultaneously without interference with the flap. The notches I9 in the side boards I8 function to clear the walls of the container to permit easy sliding of the wall board It into the cartons after the cartons have been loaded, although they may be inserted before loading if desired.

Fig. 3 shows the assembled pair of cartons with the wall boards I8 as a unitary carton with the flaps closed, and Fig. 6 illustrates a partially loaded double carton with the flaps in open position but joined by the Wall boards I8.

It is apparent from the above description of the invention that container cartons made in accordance therewith provide a simple and economical means of combining two cartons for loading and shipping purposes and separating them to permit handling them in smaller units.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

We claim:

A double carter-r structure for-beverage containers and the like comprising a pair of shipping cartons having closure flaps, one flap of each carton being relatively short, said cartons having notchesv extending substantially half. the distance. down the wall of the cartons on the short flap side of the carton at the corners thereof, and a pair of wall boards of substantially the height of said:

cartons and of a length doublethe width of said cartons, said wall boards having notches for inla teracting with the notches oi the carton wall,

whereby upon assembly of a pair of the cartons with their short flap sides in engagement'the.

ERNEST MINSTER, JR. WILLIAM S; SCHOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,567,165 Noland Dec. 29, 1925 1,759,056 McWilliams May 20, 1930 2,046,751 Reichel July 7, 1936 2,327,529 Kieckhefer Aug. 24, 1943 

